The Other Girl
by bombalurima
Summary: Who was she, this new, other girl? The 'Going Home Again' comic from Jin's point of view. Both cute and a little sad.


"_What is it? What's wrong?"_

"_It's complicated."_

She wondered if _this _was what 'complicated' looked like nowadays—tall, slim, pale, beautiful.

He introduced her as his friend from the circus.

Jin surveyed the other girl in the poor light of the alley. She looked too _elegant _to have come from anywhere but a silk pillow in a stylish mansion somewhere, let alone a place like the circus.

She was tall, whereas Jin was rather short. She was as pale as a lotus blossom, in contrast to Jin's warmer complexion. Long and slim, yet still curved slightly, like a bow, while Jin was softer, rounder. Those eyes…the other girl had pale gold eyes, _sharp _eyes that seemed to miss nothing. Jin's own hazel-brown didn't seem to quite compare.

And that _hair…_

Her own bushy brown locks had never felt more degrading (or as similar to a bird's nest) as it did then, just looking at those long, sleek, ebony tresses.

She was stunning.

Jin felt like a dumpy little mushroom growing next to a burgundy rose.

"Yeah…she's the knife thrower!"

And there was Lee, just as charmingly awkward and handsome as ever. He had let his hair grow out some more, it framed his face in a very cute (and almost alluring) fashion. He looked flustered now as he introduced his friend, and Jin didn't know why on Earth that could be. Had she interrupted something beforehand?

Oh spirits above, she hoped not.

"Really?" Was all Jin asked out loud, her eyes roving from Lee's flushed face to the girl, whose gaze flickered onto her at the exact same moment. There was nothing there but a cool surveying gleam, only mildly interested in this other female. She was not threatened. She was not interested. Jin was nothing to her but a fairly interesting new development in her evening.

But then, her angular face (so _sharp! _Jin had never seen a girl with features as narrow and pointed, very unalike her own round cheeks), suddenly broke out into a smirk, a gesture that made that icy outlook of her's flare to unexpected life.

"I'll show you," She told Jin, before slipping behind Lee and pressing her hands between his shoulder bales, steering him off down the alley. "Come on, _Lee."_

Her voice took Jin by surprise. She had been expecting a musical trill, something soprano and light, a voice that had only been used to say sweet words and to sing sweet songs.

What she had _not _been expecting was the rasp, the utter hoarseness and grit of a sandpaper voice that somehow, someway…held hidden sensuality. She imagined any sigh given from this girl, whether it be from boredom or pleasure, would be one of the most bewitching and alluring sounds ever given.

She obediently followed the dark-haired girl, who continued to shove and corral Lee down the alley, until a familiar burst of light greeted them at the end.

They were at the fountain. Her fountain. _Their_ fountain, her's and Lee's. At least, for one magical moment in time, it had been.

Jin had came by here a few times since Lee and his uncle had left the city, watching the light dance on the water and listening to the steady flow of the liquid as it cascaded down, thinking of the mysterious boy she had came here with once before, wondering where he is, and if she would ever see him again.

She had daydreamed about this moment, about the day he returned to Ba Sing Se (for whatever reason, that part didn't matter, though she liked to think some part of it, however small, may have had to deal with her), and she took him back to the fountain where they had shared their first kiss…hopefully, the spot where a thousand other kisses and romantic little moments would be shared.

It seemed wrong now to her that this other girl was here, in her favorite place in the city, in the same place where she had kissed the boy the other female was now shunting along. It wasn't right. _She _shouldn't be here. But here she was, and she was moving Lee into place right in front of the fountain.

"I hope she's a better knife thrower than you are at juggling!" Jin called teasingly to Lee, who still looked rather taken aback by the whole set-up. She had hoped that he would hear, that he would shoot something back or awkwardly defend himself. Maybe even explode. She didn't care—just so long as he took his eyes off of _her._

But he didn't. His golden gaze, which had sent shivers up and down Jin's spine for the longest time, was still trained on the other girl, as if she were the only thing anchoring him to earth.

"Hmm…" The girl took a few steps back, surveying Lee standing in front of the fountain with a mulish and rather irritated expression on his scarred face, before deciding, "Still not quite right…"

She turned, and caught sight of the cart selling frozen fish that had been standing idly by this whole time, a silent spectator to the entire scene. The owner of the cart was supervising a fellow stand a little further down the road. One fish would surely not go missing.

With a satisfying slapping noise, the girl flopped the dripping wet fish onto Lee's head. He looked even more annoyed than he had a moment before, but he didn't say anything, his gaze still trained on _her. _It might have been Jin's imagination, but for a moment, she thought she saw the girl's slim, long-fingered hand rest on Lee's head for a beat, her fingers just about grazing his hair.

Before she could try to examine any further, the girl had withdrew her hand and stepped back to the cart of fish, snapping an icicle off of the end.

"It's all in the wrist, really…" She explained to Jin off-handedly, holding the icicle with what she could tell was obvious ease and skill between her fingers.

Jin didn't even really see it happen. One moment, there was a whip noise, the sound of ice slicing through thin air, and the next, the pseudo-blade had impaled the frozen fish, striking right through the exact middle of its slimy stomach, not anywhere close to Lee's head.

"That was amazing!" Jin blurted it out before she could help herself. It really was impressive…she had never before seen anyone strike with such stunning accuracy, and so _quickly _too. She was like a snake, striking with astonishing speed and precision.

The girl smiled faintly, and turned and broke another icicle off of the stand, holding it up the other young woman.

"Do you want to try, Jin?"

It wasn't a challenge, Jin reminded herself, staring at the icicle as if the other girl had asked her to stab herself with it. It was only a suggestion. No need to feel pressured.

"Oh…oh no, I couldn't possibly…"

The girl raised an eyebrow, one slim, dark eyebrow, and that was all it took to change her mind.

"Well, maybe just one."

The girl's smirk widened, and she handed Jin the icicle as she plucked another frozen sea creature (this time, a little squid of sorts) off the stand and plucked it onto Lee's head. He looked alarmed now, no longer merely irritated but actually distressed, and she saw him open his mouth faintly to say something to the other girl, who ignored him, stepping to the side to give Jin room.

Without really thinking about it, Jin chucked the icicle, wanting to get it out of hand and possibly, get rid of the other girl too.

The new weapon whizzed through the air with none of the style and accuracy as the one _she _had thrown. It flung, spiraling, spinning through the air like a child's toy towards Lee, who let out a startled squawk and attempted to dodge the blade.

He succeeded, but at a price. The icicle hit the fountain behind him, dashed to pieces on the smooth marble surface. Lee himself stumbled backwards, slipping and falling over backwards right into the water.

Jin gasped and covered her mouth, torn between shock and a bizarre desire to laugh. She watched as he sat up, dripping wet and looking just about ready to tear someone's head off, and decided to go offer him help. He just looked so silly all soaked like that!

Before she could make her move, though…the other girl stepped forward.

She leaned over, one hand on her slender hip, the other resting on the counter as she looked into Lee's red, furious, wet face, and declared with the air of smug satisfaction of a victor triumphant: "Now we're even."

There was a beat, a moment of anticipation where Jin had to admit, she held her breath. The air was positively electric with what could happen next, a thousand different possibilities skittering around in her brain and charging the very atmosphere around her. What he yell at her? Her as in Jin herself, or her as in the other girl? He looked too mad to laugh. Maybe he would snarl and stomp out of the fountain and back down the street in a huff. Maybe he would look at her as he passed, and just for a second, smile.

What he actually did was heave a tremendous frustrated growl and haul his dripping self out of the fountain, his golden eyes _still _fixed on the other girl, who had taken a few steps back when he emerged.

It was now that Jin realized—aside from the one moment where she had nearly run him through with an icicle, his gaze had not left the other girl once.

"_Even…_are we?" He scowled, taking small, slightly menacing steps over in _her _direction.

"I'd say so…" The girl slid backwards just a notch, her own paler eyes meeting his for a fraction of a moment, before he lunged for her.

She let out a wild shriek, and took off down the street, her wild laughter mixing with her screams.

Lee did not look once at Jin before wheeling around and chasing after her.

But Jin looked at him.

He looked mad, yes. He looked beyond infuriated, yes. But behind his gaze…there was something else. Something _else…_that Jin couldn't even describe.

She watched as he raced after the other girl, their shouts and her laughter dissolving into the night, and felt, for a moment, completely numb.

Suddenly, without even thinking about it, she started running, her feet taking her down a well-known back road that she knew would lead to the same place the girl and Lee would wind up in. She ran, heart pounding wildly in both her head and her chest, until finally, she found herself in a small, backstreet courtyard, as she knew she would.

She could hear their footsteps, could hear their voices, each a unique shade and tone of rough and hoarse.

"Are you crazy? You could have gotten me _killed!" _That was Lee, fury still blazing strong in his voice.

The other girl only laughed, breathless, airy, and light. Her heart must have been soaring. Jin's was sinking.

Again without a second thought, Jin ducked down in the closest bush, pressing herself almost against the ground to better conceal herself. She peeped out through a gaping hole in the bush, knowing that they would not see her. The night's cloak of darkness hid her well, and besides…they seemed too caught up in their own little world.

"Whatever, _Lee!" _The girl's snicker was a little out of breath from her sprint down the road, but she slowed down as she entered the courtyard, turning to shoot a taunting smirk over her shoulder.

"Just stop…just for a second!"

Lee had followed along behind her, slowing down as well to match her pace, and Jin watched in horror as his hand reached up and cupped the girl's shoulder.

They both stood still then, their slightly quickened breathing punctuating the cool night air, and Jin saw it then…the two looked at each other, and something happened. It was like the gleam in Lee's eyes earlier, before he had begun the chase. She couldn't name it. She couldn't even describe it. But their eyes met, and a faint flush suddenly appeared on both of their faces, easy to detect with their pale skin and the light of the moon.

"You finally seem to be enjoying yourself…" Lee remarked, his voice oddly constricted and a tad bit husky as his hand slowly moved from her shoulder and pulled back to his own body.

The girl said nothing as Lee turned ever so slightly, his back facing her at an angle now.

Jin couldn't help it—her heart rate increased. Would he leave now? She dug her fingernails into the cobblestone beneath her, ignoring the sudden grit of pain as she watched, wide-eyed, unable to look away.

"I've missed seeing this side of you…" He admitted, and the small balloon of hope that had dared to grow in Jin's chest abruptly deflated. His _voice…_she knew what was in it now.

Longing.

But more than that…no, she didn't want to think about _that. _She couldn't, she couldn't bring herself to think it…

"Well, a lot of things have changed since the days when I used to throw mud in your face…" The girl responded, her own voice as soft as a summer's breeze.

She slid closer to him, and cupped his chin in her hand, turning his face so he could look back at her, back into her eyes as she murmured,

"But not everything's changed…"

It was a sigh. It was just as horrible and as beautiful as Jin had suspected it to be.

She closed her eyes so she didn't have to see what was next—she already knew.

_Love._

That was what that other thing was, the other thing so clearly expressed in their eyes and voices.

Jin waited for what seemed like hours, like days, with her eyes squeezed shut, until the girl suggested (her voice was breathless again) that they head back to the ship. Lee murmured an agreement, and they left, their footsteps fading into the night.

She waited a few more minutes alone in the dark, to ensure that they were really gone. She got slowly to her feet, her heart aching inside her chest.

Jin turned, and began the familiar walk back to her home. It hurt, it actually hurt, her poor, stupid heart throbbing inside her. She thought about Lee on the way back. She thought about the girl.

But most of all, she thought of the two of them together.

And as Jin fell face-first onto her bed, the largest truth of all from that night hit her.

The dark-haired beauty with the smoldering eyes was not just 'the other girl.'

She was.


End file.
